Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-11
AT THE MORGUE.
Relatives Refused Sight Of the Remains
The Company settling Claims.

Relatives Refused Sight of the Remains
The Company settling Claims.
Especial to the Free Press
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION. Feb. 5 There
has been much complaint Of the manner
in which the morgue has been MANAGED,
in regard to the restriction which those in
charge have placed upon those who have
come from distance to identify their
missing friends and relatives Monday
and today it has been necessary to have /,
pass signed by some of the railroad oil
Cals in order to gain admission to the
room where the remains are placed This
morning, Peter Myette Il poor French
man, of HOlyOke, came on to identity the
remains of his father-n law, Pierre Nc
Lane. He arrived here about / O'Clock
and Immediately walked to Hartford
where the mOrgue is situated under
charge of w. 3. Hatch chief clerk in the
Office J. ". Robertson, superintendent of
motive power OF the Central railroad At
10 O'Clock your correspondent saw Myelte
and he had not yet been admitted to the
room. There we're also rumors ahuat
which however, some of those coming to
identify relations said were true, that eff
forts were made to settle claims before the
friends were admitted to the morgue
Lawyer Tarbell Of South Royalton, who
is in the employ of the railroad company
and is III charge of the wounded at Hart
lord, is continually intmating to the
wounded under his charge the advantages
Of etlecting an early settlement with the
company and that he is prepared to treat
with any disposed to come to a satisfactory
arrangement
Frank Wheeler is the proprietor of a
boarding hou-eat Hartford and Frederick
futile OF Euubrid.e who was very SCI
lously injured, receiving a cut over the
eye, ear and head. is boarding with
Wheeler and Is still in a very serious
condition and may not recover. Mr.. Tut
tie says that representative of the com
pany called there at his house and asked
to see Mr.. futile alone. The latter was
III semi unconscious condition accord
ing to Wheeler's story and in that condi-
ton 1t was very easy to get him to sign
a paper releasing the company from all
damages in consideration of $50 and s. in
addition making total of SO for which
he has signed away what may be his fu-
ture support.
One young man by the name of Freder-
lex Fisher of Gloucester, Mass, who was
in the Boston sleeper, has settled with the
company for a small amount, but he will
not state the exact amount, nor the
person with whom he settled. He signed
a receipt releasing the company from all
claims for either personal damage or loss
OF property. II has been stated in the pa
pers that William Deviuu of Winooski
had been paid 1925 in full ,nsideration of
the loss of his wife and injuries to him
self. 1t will be rememb ered that Devino
IN an interview with a FREE PRESS re-
porter stated that he could not remember
whether he had signed any paper or not
But investigation to-day shows that there
are those in Hartford who are ready to
testify that DevinO was approached Satur
day by representatives of the company
while he WAS in tina; dazed condition and
under the influence of lluuor which
mad been administered TO him. he
signed Il release from all claim tor
damages In the loss Of his wife and in
Jurles to himself for the insignificant sum
OF SO. These Instances are not rumors
put nave been carefully substantiated
THE COMMISSIONERS ORDER
during the examination of Mr. Bean,
Chairman Pingree of the board declared
a recess for few minutes and when he
called the room to order he made a few
remarks and said that IN Justice to all
parties and in view of certain reports
winch mad gone out the board had de-
clded that they had the power to issue AN
order prohibiting the roaming of the pub-
nc at Will through the morgue, INSPECT
ing ana perhaps misplacing or appro-
prlatlng property found with the victims.
lhey nave Issued the following order:
HARTFORD, Feb. 5, 1881.
III the matter of the accident which oc
cured on the Central Vermont railroad
at Hartford bridge in Hartford on the
morning OF February 18th inst, the cause
OF which Is now under investigation, the
Doaru actlng IN the interests OF the rela-
tlVes and friends of the dead from said
accident and to prevent possible
fraudulent claims being successfully
made TO any of the remains money
ana other valuabes with the same now IN
the nOrgue at Hartford do hereby recon-
menu that the selectmen of the town of
Hartford and the Central Vermont railroad
company agree upon and arrange with two
suitable persons to take charge of said
morgue and see to it that no mistakes in
the delivering up of remains and property
to parties not properly entitled thereto
ana that only such persons be admitted as
they are satisfied are honest seekers after
relatives and friends or such other per
SONS as they deem the public interests re-
qulre TO be admitted.
BY Order of the Board,
ALFRED +. WATSON,
Clerk.
NOTES OF THE DISASTER
The officials of the Central Vermont